K-State Chipper/Shredder Safety - Protective Equipment
Chipper/Shredder Safety – 7
When to Wear Hearing Protection
OSHA Standard 1910.95 (i) (l) requires hearing
protection to be worn when sound levels
exceed certain limits (generally, a daily average
of 85 or 90 decibels, depending on the
circumstances). These levels can be measured
with a sound level meter. A hearing conservation
program requiring hearing tests and other
precautions may also be necessary. Check with
the equipment operator’s manual, as well as
your supervisor, for suggestions on hearing
protection for each piece of equipment as well
as instructions on how to wear it properly.
Hearing Protection Rules of Thumb
Hearing protection may be needed if:
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You have to raise your voice significantly to
be heard by someone three feet away.
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After leaving a noisy area, your ears feel
plugged or you hear a mild ringing or
whooshing noise that goes away after an
hour or two.
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When you start your car in the morning, the
radio is so loud from the evening before that
you have to turn it down.
Protective Equipment
Certain equipment is necessary to protect your body from materials
thrown from the chipper/shredder and to avoid being caught in the
equipment’s moving parts.
When operating a chipper/shredder, you should wear:
Close-fitting clothes and no jewelry
Loose shirt sleeves, pant legs or jewelry can catch in the equip-
ment’s moving parts, resulting in injury. Do not wear gloves with
loose cuffs. Pull back long hair.
Long pants and sturdy, non-slip boots
Wear long pants, without cuffs, to protect your legs from objects
that could be thrown from the chipper. Sturdy, non-slip boots
will help you keep a firm footing on the ground and reduce the
risk of slipping and falling into the chipper/shredder.
Safety glasses
Wear safety glasses to protect your vision.
Hard hat
Wear a hard hat to protect your head from material that may be
kicked out of the machine.
Hearing protection
Over time, you will lose your hearing if you are exposed to loud
noises without protection.
Two common types of hearing protection are muffs and plugs.
Ear muffs should seal around your ears to properly muffle loud
noises. Wash reusable ear plugs with warm, soapy water after
each use in order to prevent infection. Discard disposable ear
plugs after each use.
This logger’s style safety helmet can also be used while operating a chipper/
shredder. It contains a hard hat, hearing and face protection in one piece.